Washing machine



Oct. 24, 19 39. K, CLARK 2,176,954

- WASHING MACHINE Filed Aug. 9, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

(40411 (MEX A TTORNEYS.

Patented Oct. 2 4, 1939 PATENT OFFICE 2,176,954 WASHING MACHINE 'Kendall Clark, South Bend, Ind., assignor to Bendix Home Appliances, Inc., Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Delaware Application August 9, 1937, Serial No. 158,026

8 Claims.

This invention relates to machines which are mechanical means so that there is no possibility of failure of operation without the operators knowledge. The preferred construction and arlil rangement of the interlocking means, and other novel features and desirable combinations, will be apparent from the following-description of the illustrative embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

20 Figure l is a view, partly in vertical section and partly in front elevation, of a washing machine embodying my invention;

Figures 2, 3 and. 4 are partial sectional views showing in different positions the timer switch 25 shaft and the lock of the door and the interlock connecting them; and

Figure 5 isa wiring diagram. The washing machine illustrated is of the type fully described, and claimed in application No.

30 129,429, filed March 6, 1937, by John W. Chamberlin and Rex Earl Bassett, Jr., and in application No. 129,412, filed March 6, 1937, by Adiel Y. Dodge.

It includes angle-shaped base plates l sup- 35 porting saddles l2 carrying a cylindrical horizontal tub I 4 secured thereto by straps IE to form the frame or chassis of the machine; Panels i8 are secured to this chassis to form a housing or cabinet. Within the tub I4 is a perforated rotatable horizontal drum or clothescylinder 20 driven (through a two-speed transmission controlled by a solenoid 22) by a motor 24 either at a low speed for washing or at a high speed for drying.

Water is supplied to the machine under the control' of valves controlled by solenoids 26 (hot water) and 28 (cold water). The height of the water in the tub is limited by a float which controls a float switch 30. The drain is controlled by a valve 32 operated by a solenoid 34.

Motor 24, and the solenoids 22, 26, 28 and 34, are controlled by a cyclic timer switch 36 carried by a bracket 38 secured to the,tub l4. This switch includes a cam shaft 40 driven, through a reduction gearing 42 and a one-way pawl and ratchet mechanism 44, by a small motor 46. Shaft 40 may be provided with a handle 58, by which it may be advanced manually, for example in starting the machine,v

Shaft 40 carries a series of cams 59, operating spring contacts 52, for opening and closing cir- 5 cuits from one power line 54 through the motors 24 and 46 and through the four solenoids, to a contact bar 56 connected to the other power line 58. By suitably forming the cams 59 the ma.- chine may be driven automatically, after shaft 40 is advanced by turning handle 48 manually far enough to start the machine, through a predetermined cycle, and then brought to rest.

It will be noted that the three solenoids 22, 26 and 28 are all in series with the float switch 30, so that the hot and cold water is shut off when the water in the tub reaches a predetermined level, and so that the transmission cannot be shifted to high speed for drying if there is water in the tub. A thermostatic switch 60, controlled by the temperature of the water entering the tub, may be arranged in series with one of the solenoids 26 or 28, so that the water in the machine will be at a, predetermined temperature when solenoids 26 and 28 are both energized.

Clothes to be washed are introduced into the open end of the rotatable drum 20, through an opening in tub l4 adapted to be closed by a hinged and glazed door 62 of any desired type. This door is locked, before the machine is started in operation, by turning a handle 64 to rock a shaft 66 to turn a lock or latch member 68 behind a suitable stationary latch plate.

According to the present invention, the lock 68 and the switch shaft 40, or other parts of the door lock and the timer switch, are interlocked so that the machine cannot be operated when the door is open or is unlocked, and so that the door cannot be opened when the machine is running. Preferably the interlock is of a mechanical type.

In the arrangement illustrated, a pawl l0 (shaped as a bellcrank lever in the form shown) pivoted on the front of the tub is arranged when the door is locked toseat in a notch 12 in the lock member 68. It is also arranged to ride up a 5 cam surface 14 when the lock member 69 is turned to upright (i. e., locked) position, and to engage a shoulder 16 at one side of notch 12 to guide to end of the pawl 10 into the notch 12.

The pawl Ill is connected, as for example by a link 18, with a second pawl 80 pivoted in. the timer switch 36, and urged by a spring 82 against a cam 84 on the shaft 40. The cam 84 is formed with a raised portion 86 which engages the pawl 80 at the end of the cycle of the machine to shift both pawls 80 and 10 to released positions, as shown in Figure 2, so that the door 62 can be opened. A

If an attempt is now made to operate the machine-with the door open, or unlocked, as, soon as the shaft 40 is slightly advanced and prior to the closing of any of the circuits between lines 5| and 58, a lug 88 on the pawl'80 snaps into a notch 98 in the edges of ,the cam- 84, thereby locking lug 88 from the notch 90 against the resistance of spring 82, and releasing the timer switch. When the pawl 10 is seated in the notch 12 (Figure!) it holds the lug 88 clear of the notch 98 ready for engagement by the raised cam portion 86 at the end of the cycle of the machine.

While one illustrative embodiment has been described in detail, it is not my intention to limit the scope of the invention to that particular embodiment, or otherwise than by the terms of the appended claims,

I claim:

l. A machine having a door and a cyclic timer switch having a drive shaft turned substantially through one revolution for each cycle of the machine, a lock for holding the door closed, a pawl engageable with the lock to prevent its disengagement, a second pawl adjacent the drive shaft and connected to the first pawl, and a member driven by the shaft and which is formed to shift both of the connected pawls to released positions at the end of the cycle of said switch and to interlock with the second pawl to prevent operation of the switch thereafter while the door is unlocked, said lock having means actuated by thereafter locking the door to interlock with its pawl and substantially simultaneously shift the second pawl to released position.

2. A machine having a door and a cyclic timer switch having a drive shaft turned substantially through one revolution for each cycle of the ma chine, a lock for holding the door closed, a pawl engageable with the lock to prevent'its disengagement, a second pawl adjacent the drive shaft and connected to the first pawl, and a disk carried by the shaft and which has a cam portion engaging the second pawl and formed to shift both of the connected pawls to released positions at the end of the cycle of said switch and which has a notch beyond said cam portion to interlock with the second pawl to prevent operation of the switch thereafter while the door is unlocked, said lock including a part having a cam portion and an adjacent notch and actuated by thereafter locking the door to interlock with its pawl after shifting the secondpawl to released position.

3. A machine having a door provided with manually operable means for preventing its being opened, operating instrumentalities having electric control circuits, a cyclic timer device having contacts arranged in said circuits and arranged thereby to control said instrumentalities to opcrate them automatically through "a predetermined cycle and then to stop, said device being manually-operable means for preventing its being opened, operating instrumentalities having electric control circuits, a cyclic timer device having contacts arranged in said circuits and arrangedthereby to control said instrumentalities to operate them automatically through a predetermined cycle and then to stop, means in said timer device for holding the device locked in stopped position, and a connection between said two means such that moving one of them to unlocked position moves the other to locked position.

5. A machine having 'a door provided with manually-operable means for preventing its being opened, operating instrumentalities having electric control circuits, acyclic timer device having contacts arranged in said. circuits and arrangedthereby to control said instrumentalities to operate them automatically through a predetermined cycle and then to stop, said device being manually operable to turn it to the stopped position at any time in the cycle of the machine, means in said timer device for holding the device locked in stopped position, and a connection between said two means such that moving one of them to unlocked position moves the other to locked position, said timer device having a cam acting directly on its locking means to cause it to move to locked position at the end of the cycle and acting indirectly through said connection. on

the locking means of the door to move it to un- I locked position at the end of the cycle.

6. A machine having a door provided with manually-operable meansfor preventing its being opened, operating instrumentalities having electric control circuits, a cyclic timer device having contacts arranged in said circuits and arranged thereby to control said instrumentalities to operate them automatically through a predetermined cycle and then to stop, means in said timer device for holding the device locked in stopped position, and a connection between said two means such that moving one of them to unlocked position moves the other to locked position, said timer device having a cam acting directly on its locking means to cause it to move to locked position at the end of the cycle and acting indirectly through said connection on the locking means of the door to move it to unlocked position at the end of the cycle,

7. A machine having a door provided with manually-operable means for preventing its beopened, operating instrumentalities having electric control circuits, a cyclic timer device having contacts arranged in said circuits and arranged thereby to control said instrumentalities to operate them automatically through a predetermined cycle -and then to stop, said device being manually operable to turn it to the stopped position at any timein the cycle of the machine, means in said timer device for holding the device locked in stopped position, and a connection between said two means such that moving one of them to unlocked position moves the other to locked position, said door locking means including a cam operated by manually locking the door and acting through said-connection to move the locking means of the timer device to unlocked position.

8. A machine having a door provided with manually-operable means for preventing its being opened, operating instrumentalities having electric control circuits, a cyclic timer device having contacts arranged in said circuits and arranged thereby to control said instrumentalities to operate them automatically through a predetermined cycle and then to stop, means in said timer device for holding the device iocked in stopped position, and a connection between said two means'such that moving one of them to tinlocked position moves the other to. locked position, said door locking means including a cam operated by manually locking the door d acting through said connection to move the locking means of the timer device to unlocked position. 

